Housekeeping

08.11.07

I brought a man to Radiology today to have his abdomen scanned. Afterwards, he asked me how things went. I had seen the plates and knew enough that his liver was riddled with multiple nodules–Stage IIIA at the very least.

I could not tell him that he was going to die. Sure there’s always TACE, but he has no money. And he’s only 46! And asymptomatic, save for jaundice and abdominal pain! What is the point of going into debt so you can pay off a $500 procedure, only to find out that you are likely to die soon?